The present invention relates to an insufflation apparatus for introducing limited quantities of carbon dioxide into the human body for operational purposes, particularly for laparoscopy, comprising a control device for delivering the carbon dioxide, a connecting nipple for connecting a flexible tubing to a Veress needle which is introductible into the body cavity, and a pressure gauge for indicating the pressure present in the body cavity.
In a known insufflation apparatus of this kind, it is not possible to measure the pressure, building up in the body cavity, accurately. This is due to the fact that, during the insufflation, a backpressure builds up at the Veress needle, which is comprised in the indication of the pressure gauge and thus leads to a false reading of the actual pressure in the body cavity. The backpressure may amount to the order of magnitude of 30 to 40 mm Hg. The backpressure, of course, depends on the adjusted delivery pressure of the apparatus. Since it is important to the operator to know the actual internal pressure at the beginning of the laparoscopy, a co-indication of the backpressure leads to a misinterpretation of the position of the Veress needlepoint.